VESSEL OF THE MONTH Vane Brothers’ 3,000-horsepower push tug Rock Hall, delivered in July 2021.
Photo Credits: Vane Brothers (top), Ray Hoffman (bottom)
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Rock Hall:
a l t i m o re , Md . , h e a d q u a rt e r e d Va n e B r o t h e r s h a s taken deliver y of the Rock Hall, the third of four 3,000-horsepower Salisbury Class push tugs under construction for the company by Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects in Salisbur y, Md. Vane’s newest addition is the 19th Maryland-built towing vessel to join the company’s fleet since 2008. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has delivered si x teen 3,000-horsepower, model bow tugs and three 3,000-horsepower squarebow push boats. Two of the Rock Hall ’s sister tugs, the Salisbury and the Annapolis, were delivered in 2019 and 2020, respectively. One more 3,000-horsepower Salisbur y Class push boat, the Charles Hughes, is scheduled for delivery from Chesapeake later this year. Wit h a le ng t h of 94 fe e t , w idt h of 34 feet, molded depth of 10.5 feet, and working draft of 8.5 feet, the Subchapter
Third 3,000-hp Push Tug Joins Vane Brothers Fleet
M-compliant Salisbury Class of push tugs is especially well-suited for working in confined, shallow-draft areas along the U.S. East Coast’s inland waterways. Chesapea ke nava l a rch itec t Joh n Wom ac k c ol l a b or ate d on t he de sig n w it h Va ne Brot hers por t c apt a i n Ji m Demske, who has overseen construction of nearly 50 tugboats for Vane over the last two decades. T he s pac iou s S a l i sbu r y C l a s s t u g s feature mu lt iple independent ly opera t i n g h e a t i n g a n d a i r- c on d i t i on i n g systems to enhance crew comfort, and robust f ire-containment capabilit y in c a s e of e me r ge nc y. T he t u g s r u n on two 1,500-horsepower Caterpillar 3512 engines, while service power is provided by John Deere 99 kW generators. “Vane Brothers has once again taken deliver y of a vessel constructed to the highest standards demanded by our customers,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes. “Powerful, practical and
purpose-built to maximize maneuverability where it is needed most, the Rock Hall is another exciting addition to the Vane f leet.” The tug Rock Hall is named for a waterfront town located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The town is known as “The Pearl of the Chesapeake.”
The Annapolis, delivered in 2020, is a sister tug to Rock Hall. August 2021 // Marine Log 9
